COVER STORY : A See-Worthy Day Trip : Beach-side Ventura has antiques shops, restaurants, uncrowded vistas, and it’s just a short drive away.

Ventura city officials talked for years about revitalizing the downtown area, as if modern shops and painted street signs would lend credibility to a city that already boasted a stunning coastline and a rich history.

They probably figured that, with a little spiffing up, the town would become more than just a gas-station stop for folks traveling between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

It seems they were right.

With the flick of a paintbrush, some new shops and--more striking--a multiplex, a parking structure and a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlor, Ventura turned into a destination.

But some travelers remain dubious. If they’re driving all the way to Ventura, why shouldn’t they continue to Santa Barbara?

That in itself is the answer. Ventura is relatively undiscovered; as much as anything else, that is its selling point. Unlike Santa Barbara, where the sidewalks of State Street are jammed heel to heel, Ventura generally offers room to roam.

Ventura also has just enough attributes to keep visitors occupied but not over-saturated. A day in Ventura can be spent at the beach, taking in the city’s history or shopping. Tackling all three in one afternoon is an attainable goal.

About an hour north of Los Angeles, Ventura is a coastal town that isn’t hard to reach. Just hop on U.S. 101 and look for the Father Serra Cross overlooking the ocean at Grant Park.

The cross, on the downtown hillside, is one of many symbols of Ventura’s mission heritage. Officially San Buenaventura, the city is named after Father Junipero Serra’s ninth mission, which he established in 1782 and still is a Main Street landmark.

To get the lay of the land, hike up to Grant Park, off Poli Street, for the same topographical view Father Serra had--with the addition, of course, of downtown and the pier.

The natural attributes of the city are appealing, but there is another draw here as well: antiques.

More than a dozen antiques and collectibles stores line eight blocks on and off downtown’s Main Street. It’s hard to grade such shops because so much depends on interests, childhood memories and investment strategies. So much of antique shopping is simply finding stuff, studying it, reminiscing and putting it back on the shelf.

A standout, however, is Sevoy Antiques. The store is at the corner of California and Main streets in a former First National Bank building, a formidable gray concrete structure built in 1904.

Sevoy, which still has the bank vault door, is crammed with pretty-to-look-at, expensive-to-buy classic furniture and household accessories. The stock includes a Columbia Grafonola (a record player) and a crank telephone mixed in with the armoires.

Another local favorite is the Nicholby Antique Mall. By night, Nicholby’s is a music venue and bar upstairs. By day, it’s an antique cooperative downstairs--a big room where a mix of vendors have separate booths.

Like all antiques malls, Nicholby’s is quite a mishmash. There are the Elvis Presley 45 “A Touch of Gold,” a gritty Western cowboy saddle, circa 1890, and an equally gritty (or maybe grimy) stuffed Mister Peanut doll.

Nicholby’s is on Main, around the corner from Oak Street, which is an antiques community all its own. Oak Street lays claim to American Home Antiques, Oak Street Antiques and the Curio Cottage.

Oak Street also has Smith & Smith’s salsa store--worth a detour. Distinguishable by the large red pepper painted on the sidewalk, the shop is stocked with a mind-boggling collection of salsa, hot sauce, barbecue sauce and other prickly fixin’s. Among the offerings: a Merlot Salsa with wine and red peppers and a Cactus Tomatillo with diced cactus.

Back on Main Street are the Antique Collective and Trueblood’s. The latter is a somewhat dingy but entertaining store that offers a large selection of collectibles and assorted trinkets, including sports cards, magazines, toys, records and even old camera flashbulbs.

Emerge from the darkness of Trueblood’s, make a quick left and you’re in the brightness of Figueroa Plaza, perhaps the epitome of Ventura: a mixture of the old and the new with a sense of the scenic.

The cobblestone, tree-lined city block begins at the foot of the San Buenaventura Mission and offers a clear view of the ocean at the other end. The plaza has tile benches and two fountains, one on each end with water traveling between them through a sleek, narrow gutter.

To one side of the plaza is a painted brick wall, the remaining vestige of the Peirano market built in 1877. The building now houses the Mediterranean-style restaurant Jonathan’s at Peirano’s and the classy Cheese and Wine Shop.

Next to the Peirano wall is China Alley, a short block of offices closed off by a red and green Chinatown-style gate. The gate pays tribute to the Chinese community that helped develop the town in the late 1800s, settling in a cluster of homes and shops along Figueroa Street, which is now the pedestrian-only Figueroa Plaza.

On the other side of the plaza is Mission Park, and next to that is what undoubtedly is one of the smallest museums in the country.

The A.J. Comstock Museum consists of 18 items, including photos, housed in a window of an old firehouse, now the Pastabilities restaurant. No entrance, no exit. Named for the Ventura fire chief from 1940 to 1973, the display illustrates the history of Ventura’s firefighters over more than a century.

The history of Ventura can also be studied on the grounds of the mission, open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $1 for adults, 50 cents for children.

Just down the street from the mission, the Albinger Archeological Museum centers on a site excavated in the mid-1970s. Researchers discovered more than 30,000 milling stones, arrowheads, crucifixes and pottery spanning the last 3,500 years. Some of the items are on display in the adjacent museum. The Albinger is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends. Admission is free.

The Ventura County Museum of History and Art, across the street from the mission, offers glimpses of the county’s cultural and agricultural history with exhibits that include a large display of antique farming equipment.

The George Stuart Historical Figures collection--lifelike miniatures of famous people--is on display at the museum through Jan. 2. Queen Elizabeth I, Prince Albert, Vladimir Lenin, George Washington and Ronald and Nancy Reagan reside among more than three dozen characters on display. Museum admission is $4 general, $3 seniors, $2 children ages 13-16, $1 children 6-12, free for children under 6.

For downtown dining, options range from gourmet restaurants including Jonathan’s and the French restaurant 71 Palm to the outdoor Top Hat stand. Entrees at 71 Palm range from $8.50 to $13.95 for lunch and $9.95 to $19.95 for dinner. Jonathan’s entrees range from $7 to $12.95 for lunch, $13.95 to $16.50 for dinner.

Top Hat, at Main and Palm streets, may not be a century old, but it is a part of Ventura’s history nonetheless. Food at the shack is inexpensive, but it takes some courage to try the fare at this unassuming walk-up stand. A large menu includes hamburgers and chili burgers for $1.85, hot dogs for $1 and fries for 80 cents.

Heading toward the parking structure, you’ll run into a few more antiques and gift shops, including Things From Heaven: An Angel Store, obviously dedicated to angels. It even has a shrine for the posting of prayers. Ben & Jerry’s, the Juiceshack and the Century multiplex are back at the corner of Chestnut and Main streets.

Done with downtown, you can hustle over to Figueroa Street (beyond the plaza) and go past the Ventura County Fairgrounds to Surfers Point. From there you can watch the surfers without even getting out of your car. It’s good vicarious exercise for those less inclined to take on the waves (bring your Beach Boys tapes for the full effect). From that spot you can also stroll along the beach--it’s a good place to find shells--and the Ventura Promenade, a simple paved walkway along the beach. To the south, you can walk to the Ventura Pier, and its single restaurant, and beyond, to San Buenaventura State Beach.

Another option is to drive southeast down Harbor Boulevard to visit the beach or continue to Spinnaker Drive and into Ventura Harbor Village. The harbor offers a nice selection of shops, restaurants, a carousel and arcade, music and boat excursions in a beautiful setting.

Here’s one place, though, where crowds tend to gather. On a sunny day the Coastal Cone ice cream shop is likely to have a long line. A hint: If you’re with kids who need their ice cream and need it fast, the Harbor’s Village Market provides a speedy alternative.

Through September, from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, there are pony rides, face painting and other kids’ activities. For adults, a fishermen’s market is open from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays year round. Arts-and-crafts shows are held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. one weekend a month May through November, and one Sunday a month the rest of the year.

The Harbor Village, equal amounts grassy lawn and concrete walkway, has about a dozen shops specializing in nautical gifts. The Pacific Dreams shop has an 18-inch wooden ship’s wheel for $59 and a 42-inch wheel for $279. The Glass Touch sells Treasure Jests: cats, frogs, football players and other crushed marble subjects jumbled in whimsical piles. Most are $40 to $45.

Though not nautical--save for the pirate hat--the Harbor Hatter is worth a stop for its unique, attractive hats for reasonable prices. There’s a Jimmy Buffet-style fiber hat from Australia for $14.95, a hemp hat for $34.95 and a hand-woven raffia hat made in Madagascar for $22.

Seafood and Greek are the dining options. The Greek at the Harbor restaurant has the edge, though, because it offers belly dancers, dancing waiters and the occasional dancing guest. A big menu includes a souvlakia plate at $7.95 for lunch and $16.95 for dinner, dolmades for $4.25 and $4.95 and a moussaka plate for $7.45 and $10.95.

A honey-soaked dessert and a cup of strong Greek coffee should round out your Ventura excursion and give you the boost needed for your drive home.

BE THERE

Downtown Ventura: Going west on U.S. 101 take the California Street exit; from California Street, turn right on Santa Clara Street. The parking garage is at Santa Clara Street between California and Chestnut streets. It’s free and recommended. The on-street parking is limited, time restricted and the source of many a parking ticket.

To get to Ventura Harbor Village directly, exit the 101 at Telephone Road, then take Telephone to Olivas Adobe Drive and turn right; Olivas Adobe Drive turns into Spinnaker Drive after crossing Harbor Boulevard at Ventura Harbor.

Overnight accommodations are available at the Four Points Sheraton near Ventura Harbor Village, 1050 Schooner Drive, $99 to $159 per night. The Pierpont Inn, 550 Sanjon Road, off Harbor Boulevard, has rooms starting at $109 per night.